


seven

by reusabletears



Series: Wayhaught Folklore Anthology [7]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Childhood Friends, Domestic Violence, F/F, Imagination Blooms Actual Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Nicole Will Do Anything to See Waverly Smile, Pining, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Ending, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Waverly Does Everything She Thinks She Has To
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:36:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29914260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reusabletears/pseuds/reusabletears
Summary: There isn't anything in Nicole's world that she wouldn't change for Waverly.There are so many things that Waverly would do to live up to everyone's expectations.Ok?Ok.Track 7 of my Wayhaught Folklore Anthology.
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Series: Wayhaught Folklore Anthology [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2022475
Comments: 92
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends, welcome back to the Wayhaught Folklore Anthology.
> 
> PLEASE READ THE TAGS!
> 
> I am not liable for the unresolved emotions this fanfiction will bring up.

**7 years old**

Champ pushed Waverly.

It was a terrible choice on his part, and Nicole planned to make him pay for it.

Nicole had been on the tire swing strapped to the old oak over the Ghost River, playing her role as first mate of the pirate ship  _ Revenge _ . Xavier, Nicole’s friend from Mites Hockey, was the ship’s Captain. He had been standing on the old picnic table at the base of the tree, his pirate sword held high in the air. Waverly was their navigator, map book and all, charting their next course down by the bank. 

Champ had come running out of nowhere, pushing Waverly into the shallows before Nicole had a chance to warn her. He then stood over her, pointing and laughing in a way that forced Nicole's neck hair to prickle. The noises that Waverly made, sputtering and spitting, pushed her into immediate action. 

"Chump!" Nicole bellowed, using the nickname Waverly’s older sister Wynonna used for the boy. She swung her legs on the swing, gaining enough momentum to jump off and land feet first on the bank.

Champ didn't respond, he instead looked towards his friends behind him. The York boys were stooped over laughing near the edge of the hiking trail that winded down to the river. Nicole stormed towards his stupidity anyway, the edges of her vision blurring. Quickly jumping onto Champ’s back, Nicole caught the boy off guard, punching him all the way into the dirt. The pain in her knuckles did nothing to soothe her rage. If anything, it fueled it.

No one punched the  _ Revenge _ ’s navigator and got away with it.

“Nicky!” Xavier yelled behind her, tugging at the neck of her t-shirt. “You got him, Nicky, you got him! Quit it!”

Nicole ignored her friend, continuing to wallop the cowering form of Champ. The boy’s arms were up in defense as she kept landing blows, her actions feral. 

“Stop! Please, stop!” Champ cried, as he tried to free his hands to hit Nicole back. His tears were streaming down the little bit of face Nicole could see behind his forearms. “Mom! Momma!”

“Nicole!” Waverly’s voice entered Nicole’s consciousness sharply; like the whistle that started a hockey match. “Stop it!”

Waverly’s words were Nicole’s salve, she ceased her barrage, rolling off of him before scrambling to her feet. Her entire body hummed as she watched Champ clutch at his arm, the tears flowing freely as he slowly got up. The boy immediately ran towards the trail, and Nicole stepped up to scream after him. “Wuss!”

*****

“You didn’t have to do that...” 

Nicole kicked a rock along the dirt road between her house and Waverly’s, the sun almost totally set behind the mountains. Her eyes only drifted between the rock and the holes near the toes of Waverly’s Skechers. Her stomach hurt in the same way it did when Mom left on her long work trips, leaving Dad to tuck her in early so he could drink his brown water alone.

“Chump sucks,” Nicole grumbled, kicking the rock again. “Sucky sucks.”

“But I was ok,” Waverly reasoned, her voice soft. “You coulda’ been hurt is all.”

Nicole loved Waverly’s voice. It was infectiously happy. Comfortably soft, like her bed after a long day down by the Ghost. Enthusiastic, like she felt right after a summer downpour. Waverly made her feel all kinds of things which is why Nicole only wanted to be with Waverly. 

Nicole sighed, “I’m sorry.”

“S’ok.”

“Ok.”

The bend took them around the last hill towards the arch of the Homestead, dark in the dwindling light that barely peeked over the mountains. Nicole’s least favorite part was coming up. The part where she left Waverly behind. The pair automatically stopped at the edge of the fence line, and she felt Waverly’s hand slip easily into her own. Nicole’s stomach suddenly was collecting river rocks, a thick and repeated thudding as she turned to meet Waverly’s face. But Waverly was not looking at her, she was looking up towards the night sky. So Nicole joined her, finding herself staring at a large, bright moon over top the slanted roof of Waverly’s house.

“The moon is so cool,” Waverly breathed excitedly, squeezing home her meaning in Nicole’s hand. “Do you like the moon?”

“I like Saturn.” Nicole replied, remembering her favorite part of science class. “Saturn is like the moon but with rings.”

“Mmm,” Waverly hummed, letting silence fall between them.

The crickets near the lake began to screech as the porch door creaked open and slammed, the deep yelling of Waverly’s father following. Nicole turned to look at Waverly, who was now staring deeply at her. The green still visible in the brown of her eyes. Her smile slightly pulled at the edges of her face. Nicole swallowed.

“I love you to the moon and to Saturn,” Waverly said matter-of-factly. She then leaned forward to kiss Nicole’s cheek lightly before running off towards the house.

Nicole touched her cheek, watching Waverly go. The stones in her stomach settled heavily, pulling her knees towards the ground. She wavered, but did not fall.

“Wow.”

****

**18 years old**

_ Calgary Police Service Application _

Nicole rolled the paper back and forth between her fingers, her excitement mixing with dread. Her eyes popped up to see Dolls sitting across from her, his pen moving deftly across his own application. She clicked her tongue before placing the paper-clipped stack back down on top of the others, letting her eyes move around the empty Purgatory Library.  _ You just have to figure out where she is going, is all. Once you do that-- _

“Haught,” Dolls said dryly, his eyes still on his application. “Are you going to fill yours out or what?”

Nicole honestly didn’t know, her eyes drawn back to the black and gold lettering of the Calgary Police Service. It was her dream position, in her favorite Albertan city. She and Dolls had wanted to be police officers as long as she could remember, but she still hesitated, fanning out all the applications so she could look over all the names. “It’s just-- a lot, I guess.”

The pen in Doll’s hand stopped. “How many are you going to fill out?”

“Six.” Nicole recounted each, quickly checking off the cities against the list inside her mind. But there were seven applications on the table in front of her, and her eyes refused to drift to the last one. Mostly because she knew that one was the cop out. The compromise. The job every molecule in her body resisted, except the one that was stuck in a sea of green and brown. In golden brown, flowy hair. In wildflower grins and squeals of unadulterated glee.

“Just like Waverly.”

Nicole’s eyes snapped up, a growl emitting from her throat before she could stop it.  _ Fuck. _ “No, I didn’t--”

“Don’t.” Dolls’s hand raised to silence her, before his face set in it’s usual serious lines. “Calgary. Vancouver. Edmonton. Seattle. Toronto. Chicago.”

“Yeah.” Nicole gritted her teeth. 

“I’m not judging you. Merely asking you to be honest with me--” Dolls stood to lean over and grab the Calgary application from the top, shuffling the other five back together. “And… for you to fill this one out. It’s where you  _ actually _ want to go.”

Nicole plucked it out of his hands and plopped it on top of the others, closing the manila folder a thud too hard. “I’ll consider it.”

Dolls’s eyes traveled towards the last application. A twitch of his mouth told Nicole that he could definitely read it, and he wasn’t impressed. “You are a lost cause, Haught.”

“Ok,” Nicole replied. She then quietly observed as he gathered his own, much smaller, stack of applications and shoved them roughly into his backpack. A slight pain pricked at the base of her throat, and she cleared it. “Sorry-- Xavier.”

Dolls slung his backpack over one shoulder and studied her. “Don’t be sorry, Nicky. Just choose yourself for a change.”

He was gone in a flash and Nicole chewed her lip, considering the mismatched top on the end of the Bic pen in her hand. Dolls was right. Dolls was always right. But Nicole just couldn’t be far from Waverly. She was terrible at it. 

“Nicole,  _ yes _ , I saw Dolls leaving but figured you’d still be here!” Waverly loudly whispered, the bubbliness of her voice lifting Nicole’s heart out of the quicksand it had been slowly sinking inside of. 

She turned to meet her siren’s smile as she slid into the seat next to Nicole, the perfumed scent of wildflowers filling her senses. The oversized purse was tossed haphazardly over the manila folder, and Waverly pulled her into a tight side hug. “Hey,” Nicole chuckled, enjoying the closeness. “Yeah, I’m still here.”

“Only a few more weeks left and we are graduating!” 

Graduation. Nicole’s looming fate. The time when she was actually forced to set her eyes on a career. Something that would tear her from Waverly’s side. She shuddered, but quickly stuffed her discontent down as she watched Waverly’s eyebrows pull together.

“You ok?” Waverly’s hand was now on her forearm, her thumb drawing slight circles on her wrist bone. 

“Yeah, just been looking at applications.” Nicole smiled dumbly, hoping it would ease Waverly’s worry. “Did you get in anywhere?”

Waverly’s face lit up like an oversized Christmas tree as she nodded excitedly, reaching into her purse for a stack of wide letters. Each one was thick, carefully cut open at the ends with the precise care that Nicole had come to admire Waverly for. Nicole let her smile grow as Waverly read them off for her, one by one.

“I got into University of Calgary, University of Alberta, University of Puget Sound, Loyola University, The University of British Columbia, and York University.”

“I knew you would!” Nicole celebrated, putting her hand on top of Waverly’s to give it a quick squeeze. “Any of your scholarships come through?”

  
“Oh yeah, I just--” Waverly blinked rapidly, sliding the stack of acceptance letters back onto the table. “I just gotta figure out where. And how to tell  _ Champ.” _

Nicole concealed the immediate cloud of disappointment that sulked in, as she responded, “That makes sense. Didn’t he apply--”

“He didn’t.” Waverly said with enthusiasm but her voice was edged with a sadness Nicole was unfamiliar with. Waverly Earp was just not known to be anything other than positive. “Champ paves his own way, which is why he is my  _ best _ baby.”

The wince was subtle, and Nicole hoped Waverly hadn’t seen it. “Right. So, he’s going into road paving?”

Waverly rolled her eyes and lightly shoved Nicole’s shoulder. “No silly, The Albertan Rodeo circuit. Cowboys and universities don’t mix, I guess. But, he supports whatever I choose.”

Nicole opened her mouth to reply, but Waverly added under her breath, “I think.”

She gulped, “Well, I can’t wait to see what you pick.”

“What about you, did you pick an academy--”

Waverly was cut off by a tobacco cough coming from behind the pair and she pulled her hand away from Nicole’s arm like it was a snake, ready to strike. A heavy chuckle came afterwards. Nicole knew that laugh and slumped back in her chair, flinging on her laissez faire attitude with practiced ease.

“Champ.” Nicole turned to see him wiping his lips with his bare arm.

“Nicholas.” Champ responded, utilizing the rude nickname that Nicole spent weeks convincing Waverly was ok. It wasn’t, but she had done it for Waverly’s sake. 

Like how she did most everything in her life.

“Hi, baby,” Waverly cooed next to her, slipping the letters back into her purse. “I want to talk to you about something, actually--”

“Duh--” Champ replied blandly, adjusting himself in a way that had Nicole clamping her eyes shut.  _ Nasty. _ “It’s why I showed up in the library of all places. Curtis said you had some happy news and to come see ya.”

“Oh, right!” Waverly said brightly, dragging her purse to the edge before glancing back to Nicole, addressing her, “I will see you later?”

“Ok.” Nicole smiled.

And Waverly was gone. Leaving Nicole with her last application, and a sinking feeling Champ was going to ruin any plans Waverly had of leaving Purgatory.

*****

Nicole strolled towards the main post office with her stack of stamped applications. Graduation was gone now, and the heat of summer was finally rolling off the blacktop. Waverly had gotten an acceptance notification extension from each University, which forced Nicole to apply to each of the six academies. A formality. A blip. Nicole only hoped the right one would accept her. 

But as she walked, that last application burned in her back pocket. It was also filled out, but she didn’t need to stamp it. This one didn’t require mail.

She stopped at the intersection, the Sheriff’s Department behind her and Shorty’s Bar and Grill up ahead. As Nicole waited on the walk sign, a small tug from the back of her brain reminded her of the Calgary Police Force application. The one she spent three times as long on the cover letter. The only academy she wanted to accept. And maybe, just maybe, she needed to let go of the part of her that hinged everything on Waverly. Especially since that ship had sailed.

_ But the Revenge is fast. She sails true. She will bring you to any port that Waverly rests her head. The Revenge will fight for you, Nicole, for you are her captain now. _

The light blinked her to walk and she accepted, allowing her mind to wander back into her imagination. To her favorite part, the scenario she often played inside of her head when she felt the most lonely. The day Dolls retired his Captainship to chase Wynonna’s dinghy to Treasure Island. He told her to go after her love, Waverly, to save her from Champ’s imperial British forces. To bring her back to the Revenge so they could live out their days on the sea, charting courses to whatever beautiful places Waverly longed to see. India. What Nicole wouldn’t give to see the lush, green rocks of the Indian coastline. No, what Nicole wouldn’t give to watch Waverly gaze upon the Indian coastline. The light playing on her features. 

Nicole’s fantasy was interrupted by Shorty’s door being flung open, a tiny blur of blue and red stomping out into the midday sun. The way Waverly’s hands tugged at her braid caught Nicole’s attention first as she stepped aside the smaller woman’s path, careful to not run into her. 

“Waverly?”

Waverly flicked her eyes to Nicole. Her irises were stagnant, filled with an emptiness Nicole hadn’t seen since before Ward died. Her heart clenched just as Waverly blinked the look away, a smile creeping into a fake grin. “Hey, Nicole.”

“What happened?” Nicole asked, looking towards the door of Shorty’s and back to Waverly. “Did someone say or do--”

“No, no,” Waverly interjected quickly, sliding her arm into the crook of Nicole’s and tugging her towards the post office. “I see you have some mail, I’ll walk with you. I’m on my break! Yes, it’s just been one of those shifts, ya know? Lots of patrons, not enough hands to pour beer!”

Nicole strained to look back, noticing all the spaces in front of Shorty’s empty except for Champ’s lifted pickup truck. Waverly used her free hand to touch Nicole’s face and the action brought her head back forward, a blush working its way up her neck at the gesture.

“Don’t worry about it, Saturn!” Waverly only used that nickname when they were alone, and Nicole’s stomach flipped every single time. “I am fine, great, even! So let’s go mail your applications, future officer of the law!”

Nicole could only nod, her face still tingling from the touch, as they walked down the sidewalk. Waverly didn’t fill the space with her usual daily rundowns or academic dreams, she instead kept her eyes straight ahead and her hand wrapped tightly around Nicole’s wrist. The silence was becoming too much, the letters in Nicole’s hands too heavy, with the elephant’s big butt sitting on her elbow with Waverly’s forearm.

“Did you choose a university yet? I uh-- I applied to a bunch of academies.”

Waverly slowed her pace and Nicole watched her grimace before she tugged Nicole against the wall of Purgatory Hardware and Mulch. Waverly’s lips moved like she was counting down, and she met Nicole’s confused stare with feigned elation.

“I have decided to stay in Purgatory!”

Nicole’s entire body froze except her eyelids, which blinked rapidly in return. Even though Waverly looked excited, looked sure, Nicole knew who pulled the strings to keep her away from her dreams.  _ You can’t Waverly! You have to get out of Purgatory, away from Champ, and live your dreams! _

“Nicole?” Waverly’s face faltered a tad.

“Ok.” Nicole forced a smile.  _ It’s not ok. Do not tell her this is ok.  _ “But why-- if I may ask?”

“Well Shorty retired and Curtis has been way too tired to help Gus out at Shorty’s and--” Waverly’s eyes flicked left, “I don’t really want to be that far from my family. Wynonna just moved back, and she has a shop-- did I tell you? She bought the motorcycle shop down near the diner. Oh, oh, oh!”

Waverly grabbed both of Nicole’s arms, shaking her lightly, her eyes desperate for a reaction from Nicole that she just couldn’t discern. She was instead back on the  _ Revenge _ , considering how to get them around the horn of Africa. If Waverly didn’t live her dream of University, the one thing she  _ always _ talked about, then how could she read the maps? The compass?

“The University of Calgary instantly accepted me into their Bachelor’s of Arts by correspondence program! Isn’t that just amazing, Nicole? History degree by way of the world wide web!” Waverly’s passion seemed authentic here as she searched Nicole’s eyes for a sign.

So Nicole pulled her in for a deep hug, selfishly breathing in her scent. “That’s beyond amazing, Waverly. I am so happy for you.”

“Really?” Waverly’s voice cracked in her ear.

_ “Really.” _

Nicole felt the sensation of the applications in her left hand, allowing herself a glance at the top one.  _ Calgary isn’t that far from Purgatory. _

“I can’t wait until you become a big city Police Officer.” Waverly tugged her closer, her voice faltering in her next whisper, “You have so many big things ahead of you, Nicole. You will change the world-- I just-- I hope you don’t forget about me.”

“Waverly!” Champ yells from somewhere down near Shorty’s. “Waverly, we ain’t done talkin’!”

“Does the Moon forget to wane?” Nicole says back, pulling away from Waverly. She shakes the letters in her hand. “Go on, I’ll come to Shorty’s after.”

“Promise?” Waverly’s eyes were big, misty, urgent.

“Promise.”

And Waverly nodded, biting her lip quickly before skipping away from Nicole. Back towards Champ and his lifted pickup. Nicole turned, refusing to see any greeting Waverly would give him. Instead she walked the final few steps, pulling open the glass door that led inside of the Purgatory Postal Service office. A jingle above her head denoted her entry.

The postmaster raised his gaze up from behind the large brown desk and gave Nicole the warmest smile. “Hey, kid. Changed your mind?”

Nicole didn’t immediately answer, turning to walk towards the mail opening table instead. She tossed all six of her applications into the trash can with a thud. It reverberated up her arm, effectively killing the urge to protect and serve.

“Yeah.”

The man stood, popping the swinging door and exiting the desk to stand in front of Nicole. “Really? Because I heard from your Pop that you wanted to be a Mountie.”

“No.” Nicole tugged the application from her pocket, un-folding the paper and spreading it flat on the table. “And my parents have officially left town-- so Dad was mistaken.”

His eyes narrowed but he reached out, taking the application from her. “I’ll look it over and give you a call, kid.”

“Thanks Mr. Nedley.” Nicole reached out, shaking his hand. “I really am excited to be a mailman.”

“Postal Carrier,” Nedley corrected. “And just call me Nedley.”

“Ok.”

  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**7 years old**

After Waverly kissed Nicole’s cheek, Nicole became bolder. 

She held Waverly’s hand at any available moment. She brought Waverly up to the crows nest of the  _ Revenge _ and taught her how to spot distant enemies. She asked for hugs, shared her Capri-Suns, and held her umbrella over Waverly during downpours. Waverly didn’t have binoculars, Capri-Suns, umbrellas, or even rain boots. So Nicole made it work. Because Waverly was her best friend and she was going to marry her. 

Or at the very least, sail with Waverly until they were so gray that Nicole could no longer pull anchor. The prospect of a lifetime with Waverly made Nicole feel invincible.

Nicole even took to telling Wynonna off, especially when the teenager was stumbling around angrily complaining about their closeness. Waverly would become quiet, distant, leaving Nicole with the job of chastising Wynonna until she went to sleep in the barn bed. Waverly used to try to drag Wynonna inside the house, but the loud noises were terrifying so they settled on the barn. It was so much easier to help Wynonna's heavier frame into the low bed anyway. Brown water made lots of people in Purgatory walk funny, so Nicole avoided the stuff, and helped Wynonna out for Waverly. Because that’s what best friends are for.

So today, as they lazily strolled down the road towards the homestead hand in hand, the sight of Wynonna's inconsistent shuffle came as no surprise to Nicole.

"Hands to yourselves, kiddos!" Wynonna's voice was blurry, like when the TV antenna was tossed around by the prairie winds. "He's around and about, you know..."

"The ghost?" Nicole asked bravely, still clutching to Waverly’s hand. "I am the first mate of the  _ Revenge _ , I ain't scared of any ghost."

Wynonna wobbled in the wind, pursing her lips in thought, as Waverly began to tense next to her. "Yeah. Kind of like a ghost-- or at least the Earps are cursed. But--" She reached forward and pulled Waverly from Nicole. "You two can't hold mitts if you go to the house. Da-- the ghosts don't like that."

"Why?" Nicole challenged, "We ain't doing anything wrong."

"Sure." Wynonna was non-committal, looking off down the road with a slight bob to her head.

"Can we go with you?" Waverly's whispered voice asked. “Please?”

Wynonna's face pulled and she stood up taller, "Nope. Got big kid stuff to do. I'll see you at dinner, Waves."

And with that, Wynonna was gone, her scraping shoes irritating Nicole’s ears. She looked to Waverly who watched her older sister go, her face bent up like she was going to cry. Nicole reached for her hand but Waverly pulled it away. 

"Not in front of the ghost." 

"How about if we go to my house? Mom is home for two whole weeks right now." Nicole stepped closer and added, "We got pizza rolls."

Waverly looked at her, her face lit up. "I love pizza rolls! Are you sure I can have some?"

"Of course!" Nicole took her hand and Waverly didn't pull away. She then turned them around to walk back towards her house; in the opposite direction of the homestead. "You sure this is ok?"

"Yeah, as long as the ghost doesn't see it."

Nicole felt her stomach flip-flop warmly.

"He won't."

*****

**22 years old**

Nicole pulled her blue uniform trousers up, buttoning them with practiced ease. Stuffing down her crisp white uniform shirt, she walked towards her small cabin kitchen, leaning over to look at her steaming mug of tea like she could tell the steeping was done just by sight. She shrugged, pushing the string into the mug and screwing on the top, shuffling towards her small couch in the connected living space. She found and looped in her belt, humming along with ‘Trip’ by Ella Mai as it flowed out of her record player. She checked her digital watch, its scratched up face only visible from one awkward angle of her wrist. 

4:54am.

"Showtime."

Nicole turned off her player, taking the time to close the top, before crossing to the door and slugging on her deep blue Canada Post jacket. She slid her feet into her boots and leaned down to tie them, spotting Waverly’s slippers on her shoe rack. Her chest hurt at the sight so she closed her eyes, tying her boots with muscle memory alone.

Waverly used to spend a few nights a week hanging out with Nicole at her cabin, and she had made a big deal about her feet always being cold on Nicole’s wood floors. So Nicole immediately went out and bought her slippers, fluffy pink monstrosities that Waverly had jumped into her arms in gratitude over. Nicole spent many a night going over that memory in her mind, in full technicolor detail. But it had been four whole months since the last time Waverly had graced her cabin with her presence. Nicole missed her dearly, and the fluffy footwear wasn't making it easier.

"You're too old to care," Nicole said to her empty cabin, standing to grab her Post ball cap and tug it down over her short red locks. "Chin up. You have a job to do, ok?"

Nicole waited a few moments before grabbing her keys, unlocking her door, and pulling it open.

"Ok."

*****

“I’m just saying, Johnny Cash earned the right to his part in the song.”

_ “Haught,” _ Nedley sighed indignantly, lifting up one of her letter bags full of rubber band organized stacks. “‘Highwayman’ is about three working class men, performing difficult jobs--”

“Four,” Nicole corrected, slotting the last package in the back of her beat up, white, Canada Post provided Ford Focus. 

“No. Three. Willie Nelson was a highwayman-- a thief who is hung for his crimes.” Nedley grabs her last letter bag and starts towards her left side door. “Kris Kristofferson was a sailor who died during a storm at sea. And finally, Waylon Jennings was the dam worker who slipped and fell into the dam. All working men, who died doing dangerous jobs-- but are immortalized by a folk song. Johnny Cash, however, flies a flippin’ starship. His part totally ruins the energy of the whole thing.”

Nicole shook her head, reaching up to pull the overhead door on the backside of the Post Office down to a height more easily accessible for Nedley. “You have the interpretation all wrong, sir. The highwaymen aren’t different men, they are the same one just reincarnated throughout time. And you are just jealous that Cash gets to fly a starship,” Nicole strode forward, shutting her passenger door with a thump before looking at her smirking boss. “While we all share this shitty Ford Focus and deliver hallmark cards.”

Nedley huffed, but his eyes twinkled fondly at her. “We are just an underappreciated trade, Haught.”

“Nope, we just  _ aren’t.” _ Nicole shrugged, walking around to her right hand drive seat. “We won’t be passed down in any folk song, Nedley, at least not in any song worth singing.”

“Not with that attitude.”

“I’m off,” Nicole slid into her seat, buckling her lap belt. “Tell Chrissy I can’t make dinner with y’all tonight, I’m busy.”

If Nedley answered, Nicole didn’t hear him as she drove her car out and started down the back alleyway so she could come around and start her normal drive to the west side of town, working her way back to main street. As she drove to each mailbox, slotting in the correct piles, Nicole noticed most of the town was receiving something in a pink envelope. 

After a few more stops, her curiosity got the better of her and she slid one to the top. The handwriting took her breath away and she looked up from it, like the cursive was the sun. 

“The fucking wedding invitations,” Nicole scowled, roughly shoving the pile into the mailbox and moving on to her next house. 

_ You knew she was going to send them _ . Waverly and Champ were getting married. Nicole had been the first person, even before Wynonna, that Waverly had told. He proposed at his last rodeo, in front of at least a thousand people, covered in the muck of his final failed ride. Waverly didn’t like the public proposal, but she showed off the rock to anyone who wanted to see it. Nicole took an entire week off afterwards. She had the flu.

Or at least that’s what she told everyone.

“And now the invitations are going out, and it just had to be during the week when I deliver and not one of Chrissy’s weekends. Great.  _ Awesome. _ Perfect,” Nicole grumbled to no one as she began to feel sick again.

It wasn’t the flu that kept her from her job that week, the only interaction she commits to outside of time spent with Waverly, it was her heart breaking. Nicole figured the inside of a heart must be acidic. It was the only reasonable answer to why her insides burn when she sees them together. 

“But--” Nicole parked, going around the back to grab a package and run it up to the porch for safety. “If she is happy, I’m happy.”

_ But is she happy? _

_ Keep telling yourself that,  _ her mind produced as she made her way back to her car, hopping in with a thud. Nicole still didn’t know what her job for the wedding was going to be, and as she delivered more pink letters, her anxiety over it grew. 

Nicole finished most of the outskirts, and by the time she began delivering in town, it was almost lunch. Lunch was Nicole’s favorite part of the day, and even with her bad morning she relished stopping by Shorty’s to eat and see Waverly. A task she completed each and every work day like clockwork. It was a law in Purgatory, even if the Sheriff’s office didn’t enforce it. 

She pulled the Focus up behind one of Wynonna’s new motorcycles, the wild-haired woman was standing next to it with a shit-eating grin plastered across her face.  _ Just great _ . Nicole waved once before grabbing the mail for Shorty’s, her eyes saw the front of the top letter and she gritted her teeth involuntarily.  _ Champ’s.  _ Shorty’s had been bought by Champ six months ago and Nicole never called it that unless she was around Waverly. A thump of her hood startled her back, and Wynonna’s expectant look beckoned her out of the vehicle.

“Hocus pocus,” Wynonna practically yelled, her eyes twinkling. “You’ll never get railed in a Ford Focus.”

“You hit my hood to say  _ that?”  _ Nicole replied, her face slack.

“Loosen up Haught-Pants, it’s the only thing that’s going to be hitting that hood.” Wynonna slapped her shoulder. “It’s your favorite time of day.”

“And yours too, whiskey-o-clock?”

“There is never a bad time for whiskey,” Wynonna agreed, dragging her inside. “And Shorty’s has the best whiskey on the rocks. You can really taste the mold in the ice.”

“It’s Champ’s now, Wynonna,” Waverly corrected as she laid two beers down on an upper floor table before crossing to them, her face brightening upon seeing Nicole. Nicole felt her body instantly relax at Waverly’s slow smile, ignoring the fact that Champ still had her in a skimpier outfit than most strip joints in Calgary. Especially compared to the baseball shirts Shorty provided. 

Waverly sidestepped her sister, sliding into Nicole’s arms for a warm hug. “Grilled cheese with barbeque chips?” 

“I thought you were gonna talk to Champ about the uniform--”

“I’ll give you a free sundae if you don’t finish that sentence.” Waverly warned into the crook of her armpit.

“I love how sapphic y’all are, but the saloon is gonna expect a show and I ain’t drunk enough to charge people entrance.” Wynonna quipped, grabbing Waverly’s wrist and pulling her to the bar. “I need a whiskey with stones, stat, Babygirl.”

Waverly’s face said no, but her hands poured the alcohol anyway. So Nicole just saddled up next to Wynonna, putting Champ’s mail on the bar. “Your mail, Waves.”

“Thank you.”

“I-- uh-- well-- uh,” Nicole stammered, her fingers peeling away her own cuticles.

“Get it out, Red.” Wynonna chuckled, grabbing for her glass of whiskey and taking a long pull.

Waverly looked patient, typing in Nicole’s order on the screen while still giving her full attention to Nicole. 

“I got most of your invitations delivered this morning.” Nicole finished and felt her heart clench at the joy bouncing around Waverly’s eyes. “I really like the stamps you chose--”

“Did you read yours?” Waverly cut her off, squealing before even hearing an answer. She pulled a cup and began filling it with Nicole’s usual ginger-ale. 

“No-- not yet…”

“Don’t!” Waverly squealed again, setting her cup down with a straw before grabbing both of her hands. “Can I come over and watch you read it?”

Nicole felt the intense blush encapsulate her face as she nodded, “Sure, yeah, uh-- usual time?”

“Yeah, I only work lunch today and Champ will be over at Stephanie’s.” Nicole couldn’t hide her scowl so Waverly added, “He’s remodeling her basement. No biggie.”

“Ok.” Nicole nodded, still enjoying their hands touching even as she considered the worry in Waverly’s eyes.

“Can I get some nuts?” Wynonna leaned into their space. 

“They are right there.”

“I want  _ fresh _ nuts.” Wynonna drained her glass and tapped the rim. “And a top off.”

Waverly grunted and let go of Nicole’s hands, “I’ll check on your grilled cheese too, but yeah, I totally am coming over later, ok?”

“Ok.”

And Waverly was gone, leaving Nicole with the elder Earp. She drank her ginger ale and focused on the bar top.

“Champ Hardy couldn’t hang a picture if his life depended on it.” Wynonna began, reaching over to pull a bottle of whiskey from behind the bar. She let the liquid slowly flow over her ice before continuing. “And your puppy dog eyes are two long stares away from dragging my baby sister upstairs for a--”

“Stop it!” Nicole pinched her arm. “Lower your damn voice, Earp!”

“Why, the entire town knows you hold a torch for--”

“Stop!”

“Jesus, alright, damn.” Wynonna drained her glass again, shaking her arms around afterwards. “I just think that you should--”

“One super, ooey-gooey grilled cheese for my absolutely favorite postal carrier!” Waverly sang sweetly, sliding Nicole’s lunch in front of her.

“Well she is far more attractive than Nedley,” Wynonna mused, pouring herself another glass before Waverly ripped the bottle away. “Where are my nuts?”

“You get nothing.”

“Then why does Ginger get the most perfect grilled cheese I’ve ever seen?” Wynonna whined.

“Because I like her more than you.”

Nicole felt her face warm up again.

*****

**16 years old**

“I can’t.”

Waverly’s words hit like a brick to her chest, and Nicole folded back up the poster board, not caring about the puffy paint that flicked off of it. Waverly still stood in front of her, wringing her hands and looking around the parking lot of their high school. Nicole was frozen, her vision tunneling as she nodded and let her anxiety take over.

“That’s fine, totally ok, actually I expected it! No worries here, nope, none at all. Just gonna go, I assume he is going to drive you back?” Nicole looked around, her vision unable to discern which god awful pick-up was Champ’s. “His truck is somewhere out here and I’m good! Totally fine, I just didn’t want you to go alone and I’ll probably just find Shae or something-- and it really isn’t a big deal.”

“Nicole?”

Nicole didn’t look, she instead backed into her moped, tripping onto the seat. Her lungs got tight, her breathing beginning to labor as she pulled her helmet off the handlebars and shoved it down on her head, forgetting about the safety strap. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Nicole, wait!”

Nicole didn’t, she started the motor and backed-up. Before her tears fully clouded her vision, Nicole looked back and saw her poster board flip open. Her words were now available for anyone to see, but she could care less as she jetted away.

_ Will you be the moon to my Saturn and go to prom with me? _

*****

**23 years old**

Nicole’s arm was throbbing, Waverly’s hand burning in the crook of her elbow. If seven year old Nicole could see her now, she’d stab her in her back with her wooden sword. The rear of Purgatory Baptist, waiting to give Waverly away. This wasn’t in her life plan, but Waverly was her own woman and Nicole would do anything to honor that.

Even so, Nicole wanted to be anywhere but here.  _ So did Wynonna I guess, _ Nicole figured as Wynonna hadn’t shown up to the church and was unreachable. Wynonna was the only family member of Waverly’s that hadn’t died or left her. That had changed now, in the cruelest of ways. Nicole wanted to be mad at the older Earp sister, angry that this job had fallen to her and her own heart’s misgivings. But her time was better spent comforting Waverly, promising her all the things her family was unable to give.

_ I will walk you down the aisle. _

_ I will give you away. _

_ I will pass you his ring. _

_ I will dance with you. _

“This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” Waverly said, pulling Nicole’s eyes down to her in her beautiful gown.

_ I love you, I love you, I love you. _ Nicole just nodded, spinning her best smile as Waverly’s intro music sounded. “Let’s get you married, ok?”

“Ok.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts down below.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope to hear your thoughts below.


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